The sugar became dearer not only in Moldova, but also in the countries of the region. The selling price of a tonne of sugar in Moldova is now US$994, Info-Prim Neo reports, quoting Minister of Agriculture and Food Industry Valeriu Cosarciuc. The minister said the sugar prices began to go up at the start of January. During the last few days, they have increased by 14% per kilogram from December last year. According to Cosarciuc, there is a shortage of sugar on the home market. The stocks total about 42,000 tonnes, but the average yearly sugar consumption is 60,000 tonnes. He said that the selling prices of sugar rose in the neighboring countries as well. For example, one tonne of sugar in Ukraine costs US$1,125, while in Russia – US$1,130. Viorel Chetraru, the head of the Center for Combating Corruption and Economic Crime (CCCEC), said there were reported cases when economic entities hid the sugar in order to sell it in Ukraine for a price that is by 25-30% higher. He added that many shops in Moldova sell only imported sugar. Many traders, especially those who have small groceries in markets, hide the basic products, including sugar, in order to sell them dearer several days later, creating thus an artificial shortage. The CCCEC has identified 90 cases of the kind.